Patent GB-190915167-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Telegraphy.
Inventor: POTTS LOUIS MAXWELL
IPC: H04L17/00
Filed: 1909-06-29
Granted: 1910-06-29
Abstract: 15,167. Potts, L. M. June 29. Electric type-lever actions.-In an automatic typeprinting telegraph system the receiver produces a perforated or a combined printed and perfcrated record in line-to-line form, which can be used for automatic re-transmission. The punching-mechanism of the receiver can be thrown out of action so that an ordinary page record is produced. The receiving-instrument may also be operated manually so as (1) to produce printed or combined printed and perforated page blanks for automatic transmission, and (2) to transmit signals directly to line, the signals sent being recorded in page form by the same instrument. Fig. 1 is a plan of the printed and perforated strip produced by the combined printer and perforater, this strip being a duplicate of that used in the automatic transmitter. The type-levers 2, Fig. 5, carry individual type 1 and lugs 9 spaced according to the code combination of the particular letter carried by the type-lever. When the type-lever is raised to the vertical position, the type 1 impresses the paper, and simultaneously the lugs 9 selectively depress one or more of the eight sliding punches to perforate the code combination immediately beneath the printed character. The type-levers 2 are pivoted on a semicircular wire 35, and are connected by links 43, 44 to sliding bars 47, adapted to be individually coupled to a reciprocating bar 52 by pivoted latches 53. The selection of the particular latch to be coupled to the bar 52 is controlled by a series of eight combination-bars 71, Fig. 34, co-operating with tail-pieces 72 on the several latches. When the combination-bars corresponding to the elements of the code signal of a certain letter are moved, a row of slots in the bars is brought into alinement so that the end 72 of the corresponding latch 53 falls into the slots and couples the particular sliding bar 47 to the bar 52. The vertically-movable bar 90 normally prevents the tail-pieces 72 from engaging the combinationbars, but, when any of the latter are moved, a circuit is completed and causes the depression of the bar 90. The eight combination-bars may be moved either by eight magnets 99, Fig. 5, energized selectively from a distant station, or by means of the keys 109 having extensions 114 provided with cam lugs 143 adapted to move one or more of the selecting-bars 134 according to the code representation of the particular key, movement of any of the bars 134 proiucing the movement of the corresponding combination-bars 71. Locking-devices.-The key-levers 109, Fig. 5, fulcrummed on transverse rods 110, are formed with a lip 124, which rests either above or below the bevelled edge of a locking-bar 125 extending transversely across all the key-levers. The bar 125 is supported on a shaft 127 which is rocked at intervals by means of the links 128, 129, and a cam 131 made fast to the loose member of a clutch which is made operative when a magnet 354 is employed. Electric driving-mechanism.-The clutches controlling the letter and line spacing-mechanism, the carriage-return mechanism, and the keyboard locking-mechanism are of the type indicated in Fig. 23, which shows the letter-spacing clutch. The continuously-rotating shaft 68 is fast to the member 168 formed with radial teeth 169. The loose member consists of a hub 171 carrying the sprocket-wheel 67 and provided with an annular channel 172 formed by two flanges 173. A spring- controlled connecting-pin 174, Figs. 23 and 27, is mounted in openings in the flanges 173 and is formed with teeth 175 to engage the radial teeth 169. The pin is kept disengaged from the teeth 169 when the cam surface 177, Fig. 27, on it engages the nose 167, Fig. 28, of a lever 166 mounted on the shaft 130 and controlled by the spacing-clutch magnet. The momentary excitation of the latter allows the parts 169, 175 to engage, but the clutch is uncoupled after one revolution by the nose 167 again engaging the cam-surface 177. Paper-carriages; web feeding and cutting arrangements; feed-rolier detents.-The paper roll is mounted on a core 189, Fig. 5, extending between the end plates 185 of the paper-carriage which is supported by a bracket 193 slidably mounted on a rod 194 extending across the machine. The paperfeed roller 195 carries equally-spaced tapered pins 200 engaging apertures in the sides of the paper. The feed-roller is feathered to the lining-shaft 196 which extends across the machine. A spring presser-roller 201 and a knife-edge 201 are arranged as shown. The platen is preferably made of raw hide. The shaft 196 is provided with a detentwheel engaged by a spring-pressed aoller. Letter-spacing mechanisnz.-A threaded nut 213, Fig. 5, on the bracket 193 engages a triple-threaded screw 212, Fig. 50, which is removed for about two-thirds of its circumference, on a shaft 211 geared to the sprocket 67 on the loose member of the spacing-clutch shown in Fig. 23. Line-spacing mechanism.-The lining-shaft 196, Fig. 56, to which the paper-carriage is feathered, is driven from the sprocket 225 through a disconnectible coupling consisting of a loosely-mounted sprocket 217 having recesses to receive pins 218 on a sliding sleeve 219 connected to the shaft 196 by a pin-and-slot connexion 220,221. By withdrawing the sleeve 219 against the tension of a spring 222, the shaft 196 can be rotated by hand independently of the power-3rive. In order to allow a smaller line-spacing when the punching - mechanism is thrown out of action, the sprocket 225 is connected to the driving-sprocket 230 through variable gearing. In the position of the hand-adjusted countershaft 227 shown in Fig. 56, the sprocket 225 is driven from the sprocket 230 through the sleeve 231, pin 232 on the shaft 227, pin 228, and sleeve 226, the sleeve 236 being idle. When the shaft 227 is moved to the left, the pin 228 engages a slot on the sleeve 236 so that the sprocket 225 is then driven through sleeve 231, pin 232, shaft 227, pin 228, sleeve 236, sprocket 234, gearing not shown in Fig. 56, sprocket 240, and sleeve 226. The driving-sprocket 230 is geared to the loose member of the lining-clutch, which resembles the spacing-clutch shown in Fig. 23 but is provided with three additional sliding pins whereby the clutch is normally only coupled for a quarter of a revolution. The clutch is controlled by a nose 265, Fig. 28, on a lever 266, which is operated through the arm 270 and a loop 272 carried by the particular sliding arm 47 that is operated when the line-spacing signal is received or when the line-spacing key is depressed. Means are also provided as shown in Fig. 28 to operate the lever 266 when the carriage-return mechanism or the blanking-mechanism (for feeding several lines at once) is actuated. Carriage - returing mechanism.-The backing- screw 291, Fig. 50, which engages a roller 292 on the bottom of the bracket 193, Fig. 5, has its pitch decreased at one end as at 293, and is driven by a sprocket 289 fast to a sleeve 296 having a radial pin 297 adapted to engage a lateral pin 298 on a sleeve 299 connected by a pin-and-slot 300, 301 to the shaft of the spiral 291. The backing-screw is disconnected from the sprocket 289 during each revolution of the spacing-screw 212 by means of a cam 306 and an arm 304 engaging the other sleeve 299, thereby leaving the screw 291 free to be rotated backwards during letter-spacing. The driving-sprocket 289 is connected to the loose member of a clutch identical with the spacing- clutch shown in Fig. 23, and controlled by a nose 285, Fig. 28, on a lever 284, which is operated through the lever 312 and a loop 313 carried by the particular sliding bar 47 that is operated when the carriage-return signal is received, or when the corresponding key is depressed. The backing- clutch remains coupled until the paper-carriage has returned to its initial position, when a cam on the carriage, acting through links 319, 320, trips the lever 312 and releases the lever 284. The jar caused by the paper-carriage reaching the end of its back travel is lessened by a spring 309, Fig. 50. Platen rotation for blanking. When a succession of connected telegraph forms having individual headings are used, means are provided by which the paper is fed from one blank to another more rapidly than could be done by the line-spacing mechanism. only. This mechanism can be brought into action by the depression of a special key, or by the transmission of the corresponding code signal, which causes a certain sliding bar 47 to throw the line-spacing mechanism into action until thrown out by the action of a cam on a sprocket chain mounted on the sleeve which drives the line-spacing shaft. This mechanism is also automatically brought into action when a certain number of lines have been printed and perforated on a blank. The action of this mechanism also brings into action the carriage-return mechanism but locks the letter-spacing mechanism out of operation.